It is known to process waste, such as household waste, in an autoclave, in which the waste is subjected to steam at suitable pressure and temperature so as to thereby sterilize the waste and make it safe to handle during the subsequent treatment thereof, for example. The processing of waste in an autoclave will also give other benefits. As an example, organic material within the waste is broken down by the treatment in the autoclave to form a mass of small cellulose particles. Furthermore, plastic objects may be reduced in size during the processing in the autoclave and labels and printings on packages of metal, glass and plastic may be removed. The mass of cellulose particles may be used for different applications and the remaining waste leaving the autoclave can be sorted in order to remove recyclable matter, as examples.
A waste treatment autoclave is previously known from WO 2006/056768 A2, for example. This autoclave comprises a pressure vessel which is rotatable about its longitudinal axis in order to agitate waste received inside the pressure vessel. This known autoclave also comprises an internal helix structure projecting from the inner side of the pressure vessel so as to act on waste received in the pressure vessel as the pressure vessel rotates.
Needs and potential for benefit exist for adaptations and improvements to certain apparatuses and methods for treating materials that may be used, for example, for treating waste or garbage. Problems that may be overcome by such adaptations and improvements include increasing the useful life of components, reducing cost of manufacture, increasing effectiveness, simplifying operation, facilitating formation of a seal on pressure vessels, and the like. Room for improvement exists over the prior art in these and other areas that may be apparent to a person of ordinary skill in the art having studied this document.